What You Need to Know About Wedding Guest Outfits
You’re invited to a wedding and you still don’t have any idea as to what you’re going to wear? You take a look at your wardrobe and decide that nothing is worth wearing for that inevitable encounter with old friends and classmates. You know you have to look your best but just can’t take your mind at rest. Relax! We’re here to help you choose appropriate wedding guest outfits that can make you shine without upstaging the bride.
Things to Consider When Choosing Wedding Guest Outfits
The Invitation Matters
If you think that the invite is just a piece of paper or cardboard that says “come to our wedding”, then you’ve got it all wrong. Read it again, this time paying close attention to the details. These details are exactly what you need in choosing wedding guest outfits. Here’s what you should look for in the invite:
The dress code
Yes, couples are getting more creative and sometimes, too eccentric about the dress code that they expect their guests to wear. Don’t blame them – they just want to have a unique and special wedding that’s worthy of remembering. Here are some of the most common wedding dress codes:
Cocktail Attire. This is also known as semi-formal attire and is just the perfect occasion for that little black dress, don’t you think? But it doesn’t mean that your LBD can be the only passport for a dress code of this kind. You can try other colors like deep blue, maroon, emerald green, etc.
Black Tie. A black tie attire requires guests to wear formal wear. This means floor-length dresses for you. But don’t get confused with the “black” in it because you don’t really have to wear one. Look for elegant gowns and dresses in pastel shades and you’re in for a night of glamour and festivity.
New Year’s Eve Wedding. Some couples really take “a new life together” literally by getting married on New Year’s Eve. Enjoy the moment because it’s the time to put your blings to good use. Just don’t overdo it unless you want the bride to scratch your eyes out for robbing her of her glory.
Beach Wedding. Throw those stilettos and wedges off because you won’t need them in this type of wedding. Go for floral dresses but skip those balloon skirts if you don’t want to feel awkward. Unless, of course, you’d like to be a reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe in her famous sexy white dress.
Daytime Wedding. No, daytime wear doesn’t have to be dull and boring. Spritz up your casual clothes with accessories. You can wear a skirt and sweater during a winter daytime wedding. Just put on some glitzy jewelry to make it come to life. Spring and summer weddings are the best times to wear florals and prints with some bangles in your arms. Skip the earring and necklaces, though, as these will clash with the graphics in your clothes.
Location, location, location!
Okay, so you know the dress code, but it still helps to know where the venue of the wedding is. It pays to come prepared, right? For example, never wear balloon or short skirts to a rooftop wedding because you might end up frustrated with keeping your skirt in place instead of enjoying the wedding.
And don’t wear stilettos when the invite says something like “garden wedding”. Your precious heels will not only be ruined – you might also be remembered as the lady who got her shoes stuck in the muddy grass and fell right on her face. Just wear a pair of good wedges.
But what if the wedding will take place in the city hall? What would you wear? Of course, you’ll have to skip those cocktail dresses. Simply wear casual attire. Enhance your appearance with some simple earrings, bracelet and necklace.
As for an art gallery wedding, well, we’d say be as bold and daring as you can. This is your chance to wear vibrant colors, insane prints and all!
The weather
This shouldn’t matter if the wedding is going to be indoors as you’ll have the benefit of air-conditioning. But an outdoor wedding is another matter. Wear clothes with light fabrics that absorb perspiration. This will not only make you look and feel fresh – you’ll also avoid having those telling and embarrassing wet armpits.
Be wise with your shoes
Remember that most weddings have dancing parties right after the reception so those elegant heels you just bought isn’t your best option. So be wise: bring a pair of your well-loved dancing shoes and let the fun begin!
Choose plain over print
Do you have several weddings to attend this season? Then buy a single dress that you can wear to all of them. Ugh, but that would mean wearing the same dress, and seeing yourself wearing that dress in Facebook or Instagram photos in all those weddings is absolutely, definitely humiliating. Not really, if you know how to make it more functional. Instead of buying a dress with prints, go for a plain one. You can wear it as it is to one wedding, add a blazer to another or don a pashmina for the next.
Have it customized
Yes, do so to avoid the perennial “we-have-the-same-dress” look, which usually happens when you and a guest have the same dress which you bought from department stores. That can really be an awkward situation. Download a design from the internet or browse the wedding guest outfits in your dressmaker’s fashion magazines. Just make sure to have it done 2-3 weeks before the wedding to ensure that you’ll have something to wear on that day.
Search thrift shops
Do visit thrift shops because they just might have the vintage dress you’ve been dreaming of. And yes, vintage is good – at least you’ll be sure that you’ll be the only one wearing that design.
Skip the whites and reds
Unless the invite tells you that white is the preferred color, don’t come wearing it. Otherwise, you’ll be labeled as the bridesmaid who never made it on time. Stay away from red, too. It’s a very vibrant color that might draw attention to you, not to the bride. Hey, she’s supposed to be the star, not you!
Play it down
Do this when the invite doesn’t give you any clear idea as to what to wear. Wear something neutral – beige, lilac, etc.
Observe modesty
Avoid wearing wedding guest outfits that have terribly low necklines – the ones which start from the base of the throat all the way to the waistline. The officiant and the other guests may see you in a different light. Plus, there’s always the chance of accidents happening – the type which you’d like to forget long after the wedding is through.
Just follow these tips in choosing wedding guest outfits and you’ll look your best without outshining the star of the occasion.